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𝖱𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋

I turn to look behind me, seeing the same girl from before.

"Are you mad?" She asks again, folding her arms over her chest. Her friends standing behind her like the perfect reinforcements.

"What idiocy are you on about? Even though tradition says one thing. Is this what you call a girlfriend Maxie?" A few people turned to listen in on our conversation.

Before I could even respond to her, the front door opens and a group of warriors walk in. Their loud voices making the room nosier than it already was.

The door swings close before opening again, this time a familiar face walks in.

The Prince.

Or as I like to call him His Royal Bastardness.

He was laughing at something one of the men behind him was telling him.

Out of all the horrible men in the North, he took first place. The things I've heard about him, the things he's done and none of it was held against him.

It made me sick.

"Prince Cole!!" The wannabe calls out to him and Max stands to his feet. The rest of us getting a little tense.

"Patricia!" He whisper yells.

He looks over to us, before coming over to our direction. He wraps his arms around her, roughly pulling her body to him, kissing her.
"You look ravishing sweetheart."

Wasn't she just oh Maxie a few minutes ago.

I roll my eyes at the two. Just as my eyes catches attention to a boarding man, taking a seat in the far left corner of the room.

When did he come in?

He looked very mysterious with his hooded cloak. I was a little surprised however that he had on a black mask covering his face.

As if feeling my eyes on him, he looks in my direction. I feel the air get stuck in my throat the moment our eyes meet.

"Is that true?" Snapping out of my daze, I look up to the smirking bastard in front of me.

"Is what is true?" I ask confused.

"Your majesty, my sister-"

"Sister? I was under the impression that she was your girlfriend." He says, looking me up and down. His smirk growing into a full smile.
"How old are you?"

"21." I quickly answer, lying. There is no way I'm giving this bastard the opportunity to even have a chance at marrying me.

"Two more years then." He says, licking his lips. My faces screws up in disgust and it makes him smile more.

"But your majesty, what about what she said?" Patr- Parti. What's her name again?

"I'm sure she just needs a little training."

Training?

"What am I a horse?" The Patri girl mouth literally drops open. A few others watching me in horror.

The Prince stares at me for a few seconds, before bellowing a loud laugh. I feel Max come to stand next to me, tightly squeezing my shoulder, and I glare up at him.

"Shush Riv." He bites out.

"I have never met a more fierce woman. It excites me." He says, looking between the two of us.

An arrow to your heart should excite you also.

"Two more years." He says, raising up two fingers. He goes to walk off but pauses.
"Join me."

"We actually must get home your highness. Our mother waits for us." Max quickly answers. Not giving me the chance too.

"Hmm. Well then...I'll see you soon, firecracker." He says, walking off.

You'll see my arro-

Max's pulls on my arm hard, pulling me out the Inn.

"What were you thinking River?!" He begins to scold me, the moment we got outside.

"Hey don't shout at me!! It just came out okay!"

"You do know the Prince is very interested in you right?" Rider states. The others coming to stand next to him.

"Interested in a arrow to his chest." I scoff. Cassidy giggles and I smile. She immediately stops when Max shoots her a look.

"Don't look at Cassidy like that! She can laugh if she chooses. The prince is a bastard."

"Facts." Eric says.

"You're really shocking me here Eric. I expected Rider to be the trouble maker not you."

"Rider's only good for jokes." He states.

"Not even hurt, because it's true. I couldn't hurt a fly." The boy says and I laugh.

"Are you guys serious?" We look too Max.
"Let's go River. I'll see you guys later." Max rudely says, turning and walking off. I wave them goodbye, before quickly following after him.

We were a good distance now from the Inn. The sight of our house in view.

"Just so you know, we're not telling mom about this." He doesn't reply and I grab unto his arm.

"We're not telling her Max. She's already mentioning marriage, she'll want to set me up with him. I'm not marrying that bastard!"

"I'm not telling mom either way River! And you at least should have some faith in your own mother. She would never set you up like a lamb for the slaughter." Some people looked on our direction. He walks off again, before stopping and turning back to me.

"You do realize who that was right? The power he has right? He wants you. He can force you to marry him and no one will have a say against it, and it pisses me off!!" He vexingly shouts.

"I'm not going to marry him Max." I say, feeling tears come into my eyes, but I hold them back.

"What are you going to do Riv?" He softly asks.
"He's the damn Prince." He lets out a breath, turning around and heading home.

I quietly follow after him, my mind swarming with different thoughts.

"Well? Did you guys have fun?" She asks excitedly, when we enter the house. The table already set.

"Yeah. Lots of it." Max blankly answers. He goes over to the sink, washing his hands off, drying them and heading to sit at the table.

Mom watches him confused. Looking to me, asking me what's wrong.

"Nothing happened mom. I'm just hungry." Max says, dishing out our food.

"Well, let's not keep Mr. Grumpy waiting." She laughs.

-

We sit down at the table, eating in silence.

This is why I didn't want to go.

"So..what did you guys do?"

Max and I's eyes make four and we look back down at our plates.

"I met Max's friends. They're really cool." I say, putting some mashed potatoes in my mouth.

"Oh? That's nice. While you guys were out, I was talking to Mrs. Hilga from next door. She said that her daughter Martha is getting married come fall. Can you believe that?"

"Oh wow! Happy for her." I say, faking enthusiasm.

"Yippee." Max dryly says and I kick his foot under the table.

"Are the two of you okay?"

"We're just great mom." I quickly answer, and she watches me suspiciously.

"Okay well. We need to talk." She says, putting down her fork.
"It's time for you to settle down River. So many girls have already received proposals in the village."

"But that's not me mom. I'm going to join the games."

"We're not going over this again River." She tells me, continuing to eat.

"But mom-"

"I never understood why your father fed you all these fairytales and dreams, but you need to wake up River. A woman is raised to take care of the household-"

"And be a man's personal sex slave. I know." I say, rolling my eyes.

"River!"

"It's not a fairytale Mom! I'm going to sign up for the games. Dad said I could once I turn 23."

"You're not joining the games River."

"I am." I say determined.

"YOU ARE NOT!" She says, slamming her hand on the table.
"You're father has given you this big dream of becoming the first female warrior but it's not possible River.
I allowed you to train, because I knew it was just a childhood phase. A daughter bonding with her father, but this has to stop!" She yells.

"You'll be killed before you even get a chance to step on that field, and I will not lose my baby girl!" Tears begin to fall from my eyes, my entire chest area hurting.

I rush out my chair, throwing open the closet door, grabbing my cloak and running out the door and towards the forest at the back of our house.

"River!! River come back!!" I hear Max yell.

I run and run until I come to Dad and I's cave. Slowing down, before stooping to the ground crying into my hands.

She knew how much I dreamed about becoming a warrior. We talked about all the time. About the promise I made to Papa.

Why would she do this?

I hear a branch snap and I stand to my feet, pulling out the dagger I aways had on me.

Papa had it made for me and made me promise to always have it with me to protect myself.

Vibrant yellow eyes, peek through the dark trees and I put the dagger down.

"Hey Shadow." He barks, running over to me. I bend down petting him.

"Hopefully you had a better day than I did." He whimpers, sitting down.

I hear another branch snap and I raise my dagger again. Shadow crouching in front of me, growling at whatever was coming to us.

Shadow

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